Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog

On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)”.The 584-page legislation revises and adds many sections to the U.S. Code, intending to “create a streamlined, performance-based, and multi-modal program to address the many challenges faced by the US transportation system, including improving safety, maintaining infrastructure condition, reducing traffic congestion, improving efficiency of the system and freight movement, and protecting the environment” (USDOT, Federal Highway Administration).

If your business generates "hazardous" wastes, then you must manage them in compliance with applicable federal and state environmental laws and regulations. But did you know that the same regulations also require you to take steps to avoid generating such wastes in the first place? Regulations refer to these as "waste minimization" efforts.

OSHA’s New Hazcom Explained

Everything you think you know about

about hazardous chemicals is about to change

Since the 1980s, most employers throughout the U.S. and Canada have been required to protect workers from workplace chemical hazards, and to train workers to protect themselves.  The cornerstones of these programs have been manufacturer-supplied summaries called Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).  Sad to say, but sometimes they’re wobbly cornerstones, because they start with hazard information developed by company scientists for agency scientists, and may or may not extend that information into practical hands-on guidance for employers and workers.  They also vary in detail, because the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides guidance for appropriate topics but no requirements that the content be practical.  While some MSDSs are fine, we’ve all grumbled about others that report clinical results of the lethal dose of constituent chemicals to half the test population (LD50), but then recommend no more than "use appropriate personal protective equipment."